Verb (Part 3 of 3)

 
 
 
Imperative Mood: gives command, issues instruction and makes entreaty.
 
 

Conditional Mood- as the name indicates, it implies expression of condition and possibility (not with certainty). In English, verbs like (can, could, may, might, shall, should, will and would) are used in this respect, to state possibility, rather than obvious.

But in Yoruba, a pronoun of “Maa” with   verb “le e” always connotes possibilty.

Example:

Maa      le e     lọ.                 I   may go.

Maa    ronu    lo ri   ẹ.         I will think about it.

Remember, the same (Maa) we used for future tense is the same word use here for conditional statement. Tonal direction in Yoruba is very essential, for future tense with (maa), Yoruba uses high tone; but for a conditional sentence with (maa) Yoruba uses low tone.

Subjunctive Mood: in English (if and were) are used to express a condition or supposition, which is always hypothetical. Basically, a supposition is conjectural which may or may not be contrary to the fact. Examples are: when one wishes, expresses doubt, makes prayer, desires something, makes a request and hopes for something. For example, Yoruba will say:

Iba ṣe pe emi ni   iwọ,   (which means, if I were you), something that can never happen.

More examples provided by Samuel Ajayi Crowther in his book “A Grammar of Yoruba Language” published in 1852:

Bi emi ba ni                         If I had

Bi iwọ ba ni                         If you had

Bi    oun    ba   ni                If she, he, it had

Bi at ca                             If we had

Bi    ẹyin     ba ni                 If you had

Bi    awọn ba   ni                 If they had.
 
No doubt, Yoruba verbs are quite interesting, but we must never forget the role of tone.